JAPAN IS FLYING TO BEIJING AND AMERICA SHOULD PAY CLOSE ATTENTION
A Japanese delegation has arrived in China seeking to repair strained relations between the two Asian giants.
The timing is not coincidental.
South Korea recently opened diplomatic channels with North Korea. Japan is now reaching out to China. Two of America’s closest Asian allies are making independent moves toward their neighbours without Washington leading the conversation.
This is what happens when America’s reliability as an ally comes into question.
Trump imposed 50 percent tariffs on Canada. He threatened to cut trade with Spain. He sanctioned ICC judges. He withdrew from international agreements. He declared countries terrible partners in public. He threatened to bomb Oman, the country mediating the Iran deal.
Japan watched all of this and calculated that depending entirely on Washington for security and diplomatic positioning is a risk management problem.
China and Japan have serious unresolved disputes. The Kuril Islands. Taiwan. South China Sea territorial claims that affect Japanese shipping lanes. Japanese concerns about Chinese military expansion are legitimate and documented.
But trade between China and Japan is enormous. Geographic reality cannot be changed. And a Japan that maintains functional relations with China has more options than a Japan that only has Washington.
Japan is not abandoning the US alliance. It is building insurance.
Every country that has watched America’s behaviour in 2026 is doing the same calculation. Keep the American relationship. Build alternatives quietly. Do not put all your security eggs in one increasingly unpredictable basket.
Uncle Sam will have thoughts about this. Those thoughts will probably appear on Truth Social before Monday.
What do you think Japan’s real motivation is here?